Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump arrives at a campaign rally at the Butler Farm Show on Saturday in Butler. The Associated Press

BUTLER — Less than three months after a would-be assassin’s bullet grazed his right ear, former President Donald Trump returned to the Butler Farm Show to pay homage to the family of the supporter killed in the shooting and make a final push ahead of next month’s presidential election.

Saturday afternoon’s rally near Butler drew tens of thousands of supporters and took on both a somber tone and carnival-like atmosphere in what was seen as a way to heal by finishing Trump’s July 13 political rally cut short by gunfire.

Trump and two rally-goers were injured in the shooting, and 50-year-old Corey Comperatore of Sarver died when he was struck by one of the bullets meant for the former president.

In his much-anticipated return to the site where he nearly lost his life, Trump took the stage at 5:56 p.m. to Lee Greenwood’s “God Bless the USA” and raucous applause as most of the rally-goers had been at the fairgrounds waiting nearly eight hours to listen to the 45th president speak. He then started his speech off with a joke.

“Thank you. We love Pennsylvania,” Trump said before a slide showing immigration statistics appeared on the large video screen, which was what was seen on the board the moment he was shot in the ear.

Mark Henry of Latrobe paints the image of St. Michael the Archangel during former President Donald Trump’s rally Saturday at the Butler Farm Show. Henry said he hadn’t painted in 35 years, but the July 13 assassination attempt inspired him to paint the image of Trump pumping his fist after being shot in the ear. Observer-Reporter photo by Mike Jones

“And as I was saying,” he said, bringing laughs from the audience.

Trump then addressed the shooting 12 weeks ago when he was nicked by a bullet, discussing his own near-death experience. The would-be assassin, a 20-year-old man from Bethel Park, fired multiple shots at Trump and the rally crowd from the roof of a nearby building, and he was killed when a U.S. Secret Service counter sniper returned fire.

“By the grace of God, the bullet did not hit (the shooter’s) mark,” he said. “You cannot stop our movement. You cannot break our spirit.”

Sounding somewhat subdued at the beginning of his 90-minute speech, Trump called the Butler Farm Show “hallowed grounds” as he then turned his attention to “beautify Corey” Comperatore, who attended the July rally and was fatally struck by gunfire.

“He’s become somewhat of a folk hero,” Trump said.

Frankie “Da Fridge” Somma drove overnight six hours from his home in East Stroudsburg and made fast friends with Rock and Barb Testa of West Deer. Somma entertained rally goers by playing his harmonica while waiting for the rally to begin. Observer-Reporter photo by Mike Jones

He then asked for a moment of silence in remembrance, with the tolling of bells ringing over the loudspeakers before an opera singer performed “Ave Maria” live for the crowd. Trump then acknowledged Comperatore’s widow, Helen, and other family members, who were seated in the grandstands behind the stage next to the slain firefighter’s protective coat and helmet. Comperatore served as fire chief for his hometown Buffalo Township Volunteer Fire Company in the early 2000s.

“We’ll carry his memory in our hearts for as long as we live,” Trump said. “We know he’s looking down from Heaven, smiling on us.”

Earlier in the day, as the fairgrounds opened at 10 a.m. – eight hours before Trump was set to speak – tens of thousands of people, mostly adorned in Republican “Make America Great Again” hats, strolled through security lines and into the front gates of the fairgrounds.

Greg Sulc of Canonsburg, who was waving traffic into the nearby airfield used for parking, said there had been a massive stream of visitors ever since he arrived at 5:30 a.m. to volunteer.

“With the turnout of today’s event, you can tell people want a change,” Sulc said.

He said there was no apprehension about returning to the place where tragedy occurred just a few months earlier, noting that while there was a heavy police presence, it was more of a party-like atmosphere.

“People are excited. The intensity level is through the roof,” he said.

Supporters swamped the fairgrounds, with most standing on the grass, but some lounging on beach towels as others sought shady areas on the unseasonably warm October day.

Frankie “Da Fridge” Somma drove overnight six hours from his home in East Stroudsburg in northeastern Pennsylvania and made fast friends with Rock and Barb Testa of West Deer. Somma entertained himself by playing his harmonica while grabbing a shady seat with the Testas by a fence with fabric announcing the words “Fight! Fight! Fight!” that Trump shouted to the crowd on that fateful day after being escorted off the stage with blood streaming down his cheek.

“I want America to be great again,” Somma said, echoing Trump’s long-held political slogan. “If we can get him back in office, we can make America great again.”

Somma has been to a couple of Trump’s smaller rallies in the past, but he said the enthusiasm here was “hot and cold” difference as he chatted with his new friends.

“It’s all about the camaraderie. You know what I mean?” Somma said.

“We couldn’t come to the first one, it was so hot,” Rock Testa responded. “We weren’t going to miss this.”

The rally took on an especially patriotic theme with a huge American flag – the same one from the previous rally that was twisted over in a way following the assassination attempt that many of Trump’s supporters thought it resembled an angel – once again hung behind the stage.

Supporters who attended said they had various reasons to attend Saturday’s rally, including Mark Henry of Latrobe, who said the attempted assassination inspired him to paint again. Henry, who stood under a tent within view of the stage while painting a patriotic image of St. Michael the Archangel, said he hadn’t painted in 35 years until he replicated the now iconic image of Trump pumping his fist in victory.

“When this happened, I started painting again,” Henry said, pointing to his paintings. “This image inspired me and I haven’t stopped.”

He’s painted 35 to 40 pieces of art since that time, including a likeness of Comperatore and his firefighter coat and helmet. He wants to eventually give that painting to Comperatore’s family as a gesture of kindness.

“I’m painting the (Trump image) as his victory. But then there’s (the Comperatores),” Henry said. “This family lost a father. It’s an expression of compassion.”

Henry said Saturday’s rally was a needed experience for Trump’s supporters after what happened there before.

“It’s wonderful,” Henry said. “I feel a part of the energy.”

Security was understandably heightened with drones and helicopters circling above and police counter snipers positioned on all nearby buildings, including the one the shooter was perched atop in July. Numerous Pennsylvania State Police troopers were stationed around the fairgrounds, including some mounted on horseback.

John Koyder and his wife Yvette traveled from their hometown of Lafferty in Belmont County, Ohio, to see Trump speak. They weren’t deterred by the July shooting and wanted to show that they supported Trump’s decision to come back to the rally site.

“I wanted to show him support for not being afraid of being shot,” he said. “And we’re not afraid either.”

A Plexiglass barrier was erected in front of the lectern to protect Trump and the other speakers, which is now protocol for all of the Republican presidential candidate’s outdoor rallies. Other supporters and dignitaries who appeared alongside Trump on stage included his running mate, JD Vance, and tech billionaire Elon Musk.

While supporters continued pouring in the fairgrounds as Trump began speaking at exactly 6 p.m., some people began leaving about 30 minutes into his speech. The crowd had noticeably thinned out by the time Trump ended speaking after 90 minutes, but he struck a defiant and victorious tone as he closed his remarks.

“We’re going to win, win, win,” Trump said of his campaign against Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris exactly one month to the day before the Nov. 5 election. “Nothing will slay us. Nothing will stop us.”